Keyless for permutation lock.



No. 663,447. Patented-Dec. II, I900.

L. LAREHEB.

KEYLESS 0R PERRUTATIDN LOCK.

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LARCHEB. KEYLESS OR PERMUTATION LOCK"; (Application filed May 99, 1899(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoat 2,

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Uwrrnn STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

LUCIEN LAROHER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

KEYLESS OR PERMUTATION LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,447, dated December11, 1900.

Application filed May 29, 1 899.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUCIEN LAROHER, residing at No. 9 Rue Hilton, Paris,in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Keyless or Permutation Locks; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in keyless or permutationlocks the locking and unlocking of which are efiected by the aid of aprearranged combination of a set of buttons. The cylindrical rod of eachof these buttons is flattened in a different manner on two oppositesides and runs in a groove or slot of peculiar form made in the bolt ofthe look, so that the said bolt cannot slide one way or the other unlessthe rods of the secret buttons are in a certain position brought aboutby their peculiar form in combination with that of the slot or groove.Upon each button-rod is fixed a toothed wheel which gears with aflexible catch, the said catch being fixed to the case of the lock.These toothed wheels can be removed without difficulty from therespective button-rod and replaced in another position, which of courseat once changes the combination. The number of teeth in each wheel beingfixed and one of the teeth being of a special form in order to serve asa starting-point, it thus becomes possible to open the look without alight by successively turning the buttons tooth by tooth and counting tothe number each but ton should represent in the combination.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail with the aid ofthe accompanying drawings, illustrating it, and in which- Figure 1represents a plan view of the interior of the lock with the cover-plateremoved. Fig. 2 represents the outside of the lock with the cover-platein position. Fig. 3 represents the bolt in plan detached. Fig. 4 is aplan view, detached, of a stop-piece which is placed under the bolt.Fig. 5 represents a vertical section and plan, respectively, of one ofthe secret-button rods. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the toothedwheels. Fig. 7 represents, on a larger scale, a transverse section ofthe lock, taken on the line mm Serial No. 718,710. (No modelJ of Fig. l.The socket 6 presents its narrow side and rests in the contracted part 9of the slot in the bolt. Fig. 8 represents an elevation, partly insection, corresponding to Fig. 7, but with the socket 6 resting in oneof the enlarged parts of the slot in the bolt and turned ninety degrees,so as to present a flat side 8. Fig. 9 is a plan view, detached, of thering or disk which bears inscriptions. Fig. 10 is a detached view of themain bolt, the sockets in the slot therein, and the yielding plate.

An ordinary lock-case 1 contains the sliding-bolt 2 and the lock-bolt 3,which latter is caused to move by turning the respective buttons 2 and3. Outside the lock the same form and appearance as those of the secretbuttons 4 4 4 is preferably given to these two buttons. The buttons 4:,4 and 4 on one side of the door are each riveted on a screw, (see Figs.7 and 8,) the length of which corresponds to the thickness of the wood.The buttons on the other side of the door form nuts and are screwed onthe screws. These buttons are made fast to their spindles and providedwith a bush, also fast thereon, having on their sides squares which fitinto square holes 5 in the toothedwheels 5 5 and 5 to prevent thebuttons from being spontaneously displaced and altering the combination.These toothed wheels are fitted loosely on the top part 7 of the sockets6 6", and 6, the special form of which can be seen in Fig. 5. The screwof each of these buttons passes through the hole 6 of the socket, whichthus forms 'whatI call the flattened rod of the combination-buttons.This socket or button rod runs through the slot or groove 9 of the bolt3 and can turn freely in the circular enlargements 9 therein, as shownin Fig. 7. Its round foot 10 turns freely in a corresponding hole in theouter wall of the lock-case. The part of the socket which runs alonggroove 9 of the bolt is flattened on the two opposite sides 8, and

its form corresponds to the groove 9, so that the bolt 3 can shootforward or backward when the three sockets 6 6 6 are in the position inwhich the narrow parts 9 of the groove can pass on them. This is shownin 11 and serves to fix the sockets, and consequently thecombination-buttons, in the position where the bolt can run on thesockets. Rings 19, such as shown detached in Fig. 9, bearing theinscription of figures or letters of the alphabet, are fixed under thebuttons on the respective screws. The rings are loose on the screw andby tightening the buttons they are fixed in such a position that theirinscription corresponds to the secret cipher. On pivots fixed in thelock-case the catches or pawls 14 turn, each being moved by a spring,and they give with the -toothing of the respective wheels 5, 5 and 5.The top cylindrical parts of the sockets or buttonrods (5 6* 6 are filedon the under face (i and against this face abuts a movable plate 15,which is acted upon by a spring 16 and can slide vertically on the bolt3, guided on pivot 17. Its backward or downward path is limited by astop-piece or stump 18 on bolt 3. This movable plate plays an importantpart in the invention, for it makes all the button rods mutuallydependent on each other-that is to say, that on endeavoring to discoverthe secret combination by successively and gradually turning the buttonsand at the same time trying to turn the button 3 of the lock-bolt 3 themovable plate 15 transmits the movements of each of the buttons to theothers, so that it becomes impossible to determine by touch the positionwhich each button should occupy to reveal the secret combination, whichmight happen if this plate did not exist, for the combination -buttonsnot being made interdependent it is easier to feel by touch of thebuttons when the bolt no longer strikes against the rod of therespective button examined.

The general working is as follows: The peculiar form of the tooth 0 ofeach of the wheels 5 5 5 makes it possible for the wheels to turnindefinitelyin one direction, (left to right in Fig. 1,) whereas in theopposite direction their rotary motion is stopped when the catch 14comes behind the tooth 0. Taking the number 357 as the secretcombination, one is to work as follows: After placing in position thebolt 3 the three rods or sockets 6, 6 and 6 are introduced into theenlargement 9 of the bolt, the foot of which sockets is placed in thecorresponding holes on the bottom of the lock. These three rods must beturned so that their fiat parts may pass into the narrow parts 9 of thegroove, and the bolt is pushed half-way, so that the rods are maintainedin place. Then one of the toothed wheels is placed on each rod, andafter adj usting the catches 14 all the wheels are to be brought to thestop-tooth 0that is to say, to stoppage of the right-to-left movement.The wheel 5 is then to be tu rned three teeth, the wheel 5 five teeth,and the wheel 5 seven teeth. The cover-plate is then placed on the caseand the wheels are fixed in the given position by introduction thereinof the buttonfigures, one must take care to arrange them so that thenumerals 3 5 7 may be at the top before tightening the button-nuts 4, 4and 4. To release the lock-bolt for opening, it then suffices to turnthe three buttons 4, 4", and 4 to the outside of the door, so that theirrings may form at the top the number 753, whereas inside the door thenumber of the secret combination is 357. When it is desired to unlockthe look without a light, one first brings back the three buttons to thestoppage-tooth o and then turns them tooth by tooth, counting threeteeth for the button 4, five for button 4 and seven for button 4. It canthen be seen that this combination will render even useless allinscription on the rings. Suppression of the inscriptions will, in fact,often be desirable, for they readily aid discovery of the combination byinquisitive persons. The springs of catches 14 are powerful enough toenable one to turn the buttons,counting tooth by tooth. When there isany reason for preserving during a certain time full movability of thebolt, one draws the plate 11 a little backward. The narrow parts of theslots or grooves 11 11 11 then grasp the rods 6 6 6? and prevent allturning motion of the buttons, so that the bolt can shoot freely forwardand backward without any involuntary or accidental disarrangementintervening to change the positions given to the buttons.

It is evident that the number of buttons may vary; but from whatprecedes it clearly results that a lock with three buttons or even twobuttons presents every guarantee of safety, the simplicity of themechanism enabling a change to be made at any moment of the combination.

By suppressing the sliding bolt 2 of the lock, which, by the way, is nofeature in the present invention, the lock is transformed into asafety-bolt for doors which are open ed andshut from outside andinside.Thissafetybolt can also be used on cupboards, bags, and other objects orarticles with but small ob vious adaptations if one replaces the buttonson the inner side by a simple nut.

I clai1n-- 1. In a keyless or permutation lock or safety bolt, thecombination of the secret buttons with sockets flattened on two oppositesides, a slot or groove in the bolt, a movable plate abutting againstthe sockets, a spring always pressing said plate thereby transmitting toall the buttons simultaneously the movements given to any one of them,as described and set forth.

2. In a keyless or permutation lock or safetybolt, the combination ofthe secret buttons with flattened sockets preventing displacement of thesliding bolt until they are turned into a certain position correspondingto a peculiar form of slot or groove in the bolt, a bolt provided with aslot or groove, a movable spring-pressed plate, the spring, toothedscrews. If the rings 19 bear the inscription of wheels fitted on theflattened sockets, and

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spring catches or paWls gearing with the the sockets and having aspecial square part toothed wheels, as described and set forth.

3. In a keyless or permutation lock or safetybolt, the combination ofthe secret buttons with flattened sockets preventing displacement of thesliding bolt until their position corresponds to a peculiar form ofgroove or slot in the bolt, a bolt provided with the groove or slot, amovable spring-pressed plate, the spring, spring catches or pawls fittedin the lock-case, toothed wheels fitted loosely on the flattenedsockets, a screw passing through for maintaining in position the toothedwheels, and a special stop-tooth on each of the toothed wheels, asdescribed and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUOIEN LAROHER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MAOLEAN, AMEDEE DUPERROS.

